Parking aid

ABSTRACT

A parking aid for a vehicle used for detecting parking spaces as the vehicle travels past the parking spaces. Properties of the parking spaces are stored in a memory and information on the parking spaces is output in an output unit.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a parking aid.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

While parking, it is the object of the vehicle driver to estimatewhether the parking space is large enough for parking his vehicle andwhether the vehicle may be parked safely in the parking space. To makethis estimation easier, conventional parking space measuring systems areused for measuring the parking space dimensions, between two parkedvehicles in particular. As the vehicle drives by, distance sensors firstdetect a first stationary obstacle, then the length of the parkingspace, and then a second stationary obstacle. Subsequently, it isdisplayed to the driver whether his vehicle fits into the space betweenthe obstacles. However, the driver must decide himself on the basis ofthis display whether he wishes to use the particular parking space forparking. It is to be taken into consideration for this purpose that, asa function of the driving skills of the driver, parking spaces ofdifferent sizes may be desired, even for the same vehicle. A comparisonbetween the dimensions of different parking spaces is not provided.Furthermore, a measuring device must be activated even before theparking space. If a driver has driven past a parking space which isactually suitable without activating the system, he must drive pastagain in order to perform the measurement.

SUMMARY

A parking aid according to an example embodiment of the presentinvention may have the advantage that the properties of the parkingspace are stored and displayed to the vehicle driver, possibly inprocessed form. In this way, he may form an objective picture of theparking space and, if desired, compare its properties to other parkingspaces which he has driven past previously or in which he has alreadyparked previously. He may thus reliably make his decision on whether hewishes to park in a particular parking space.

It may be particularly advantageous to display a length, a width, arelationship to the vehicle dimensions, and/or a distance of the vehicleto the parking space. On the basis of this information, the user maymake his decision and possibly even drive back to a parking space whichhe has already passed. Finding it is made easier through the display ofdistance information in particular. It may be particularly advantageousto display the properties of different parking spaces simultaneously inorder to allow a comparison of the different parking spaces. In thisway, the user may choose the parking space suitable for him and weighbetween a larger parking space and a longer walk to his actualdestination, for example.

Furthermore, it may be particularly advantageous if the storedproperties are deleted again after the vehicle has traveled a predefineddistance to the parking space, so that only information on parkingspaces which the vehicle driver may actually be expected to use must bestored.

Furthermore, it may be advantageous to activate the parking aidautomatically when the vehicle speed falls below a predefined level. Inthis way, manual activation by the user may be dispensed with, so thateven if the user intends to stop suddenly, information about previousparking spaces which have already been passed is available. Thepredefined vehicle speed is preferably given in this case by the maximumspeed at which a reliable measurement of the parking space dimensions isstill possible using the measuring units positioned on the vehicle.

Furthermore, it may be advantageous to display the properties of theparking spaces only when this is requested by a user intervention. Inthis way, irritation of the user through continuous display ofinformation about possible parking spaces is avoided. Automaticactivation is performed particularly advantageously when generaloperating elements are activated, e.g., if a turn signal is activatedand/or the reverse gear is engaged. An intent to park may be concludedwith high probability by performing such an operation. Further userinputs are then not necessary to activate the display.

Furthermore, it may be advantageous to integrate the output unit of theparking aid into a display unit in the motor vehicle. The display isparticularly advantageously placed in a combination instrument which isused to display multiple vehicle variables. This instrument ispositioned centrally so it is well visible to a user and is thusparticularly noticed by the driver.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in thefigures and explained in greater detail in the description below.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a parking device in a vehicle whichis shown in a top view driving past a parking space.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show exemplary embodiments of a display of properties of aparking space in a display unit.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The parking aid according to the present invention may be used in anyvehicles, but is used in motor vehicles in particular. FIG. 1 shows amotor vehicle 1 which travels on a road 2 in a driving direction 3indicated by an arrow. A parking space 6, the length of which is alsoindicated by arrows, is located between a first vehicle 4 and a secondvehicle 5. Three distance sensors 8, which are used as a measuring unitfor distance measurement, are positioned on a right vehicle side 7 ofmotor vehicle 1. Distance sensors 8 are preferably designed asultrasound sensors which emit an ultrasound signal, receive thereflected ultrasound signal, and determine a distance from motor vehicle1 to obstacles next to the motor vehicle from the propagation time ofthe ultrasound signal. Instead of ultrasound sensors, sensors which emitother wave signals may also be used, in particular electromagnetic wavessuch as radar waves.

Three distance sensors 8 are provided in the specified exemplaryembodiment. However, only one or two distance sensors or even more thanthree distance sensors may be used. In addition to or instead ofdistance sensors 8 shown in FIG. 1, distance sensors, which are mountedon vehicle corners 9, 9′ and whose beam cones are slanted byapproximately 45° toward vehicle front 10 or a vehicle rear 11 and rightvehicle side 7, may also be used. For parking on the left vehicle side,additional distance sensors may be positioned there as a supplement, butthey are not shown in FIG. 1 for reasons of clarity.

Distance sensors 8 are connected to an analyzing unit 15 via data lines12. Analyzing unit 15 registers the measuring data detected by distancesensors 8 as motor vehicle 1 travels past parking space 6 and assignsthis data to a particular position of motor vehicle 1 using traveldistance signals. The travel distance signals are transmitted toanalyzing unit 15 via a travel distance sensor 13, e.g., a wheel speedsensor. The measured distance values are stored in a memory unit 14. Ina further embodiment, the length and/or the width of parking space 6 maybe stored in memory unit 14 instead. In a further exemplary embodiment,the relationship of the length of parking space 6 and the length ofmotor vehicle 1 may also be stored in a suitable way in memory unit 14.This may be, for example, the length difference of motor vehicle 1 inrelation to the length of parking space 6, but may also merely beinformation on whether the parking space is well suitable, poorlysuitable, or not suitable at all for parking. In addition to thedistance of motor vehicle 1 to first vehicle 4 and second vehicle 5, thedistance to a lateral boundary of parking space 6, in this case to ahouse wall 16, is also measured by distance sensors 8 in this case.

Analyzing unit 15 is additionally connected to a display unit 17situated in front of the driver, which is used for multiple displays.Scale displays 18, for displaying the fuel tank fill level, the coolanttemperature, and/or the vehicle speed, may be provided for example. In apreferred embodiment, a display screen, e.g., a liquid crystal display,is provided, in which a plurality of information may be shown. In apreferred embodiment, the information of the parking aid is displayed ondisplay screen 19, so that display unit 17 is used as the output unit.Instead of the combination instrument shown here, the information of theparking aid may also be output in a further display in the centerconsole of the motor vehicle. As a supplement to and/or instead ofpurely visual information, a loudspeaker 20 is provided, which outputsacoustic information regarding parking space 6. The acoustic output maybe restricted to warning signal sounds, but may also output informationabout the parking space in voice form, e.g., “the parking space justpassed is large enough for safe parking.”

In a preferred embodiment, distance sensors 8 are automaticallyactivated when the speed falls below a predefined level. This predefinedspeed is preferably determined by the maximum measurement resolution ofdistance sensors 8, since at a higher speed, reliable detection ofpassed parking space 6 which is still sufficiently precise is possiblyno longer provided. This speed is thus a function of the sensors used,their number, and/or their activation. In one embodiment, this speed isbetween 20 kmh and 45 kmh. Corresponding speed information istransmitted either by travel distance sensor 13 or display unit 17, viaa data bus, for example, to analyzing unit 15, which activates distancesensors 8 for the measurement as a function of this signal. If the speedfalls below the predefined level, distance sensors 8 measure theroadside which motor vehicle 1 is traveling past until either a parkingprocedure is initiated or the limiting speed is again exceeded. Thecorresponding distance values and/or parking space information, assignedto the distance traveled by vehicle 1 as determined by travel distancesensor 13, are stored in memory unit 14. If memory unit 14 is fulland/or if a predefined distance of, for example, 1 km to a passedparking space has been exceeded or if a predefined number of parkingspace information items, e.g., storage of data on five parking spaces,is exceeded, the data first input is deleted so that new data may beentered in memory unit 14. Instead of a speed-dependent activation ofdistance sensors 8, an operating element 21, via which the parking aidaccording to the present invention may be activated, may also beprovided.

If a driver stops, the information about parking spaces already passedmay be displayed to him. Different conditions may be used as a criterionfor the display. In a first embodiment, activation of operating element21 is necessary for this purpose. In a further embodiment, the displayof information on parking spaces may be made dependent on a greatlyreduced speed, e.g., to less than 5 kmh. This condition may also belinked, for example, to engagement of the reverse gear and/or operationof the turn signal. A display may also occur if the reverse gear and/orturn signal are each operated independently. The advantage of starting aparking space measurement as a function of a speed reduction, engagementof the reverse gear, and/or turn signal operation is that no activationof an additionally situated operating element is necessary. To registerthe turn signal operation, analyzing unit 15 is connected to a turnsignal lever 22. To register a gear shift operation, analyzing unit 15is connected to a shift lever 23.

A first exemplary embodiment of a display on display screen 19 is shownin FIG. 2. After the driver has stopped and set the turn signal, forexample, the display of the current vehicle speed otherwise occurring inthe display unit is replaced by the display of the parking aid accordingto the present invention shown in FIG. 2. In a display area 30 ondisplay screen 19, a shape 31 of the geometry of the obstacles on theroadside is shown in a first region. The contour of first vehicle 4′ andthe contour of second vehicle 5′ are recognizable. Parking space 6′ isalso recognizable. An illustration 1′ of motor vehicle 1 is showntogether with a trajectory 32 which represents the travel path of motorvehicle 1 into parking space 6′. Shape 31 of the roadside is preferablyshown for a length of 5 meters to 20 meters, preferably 15 meters, infirst region 33. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, a warningsymbol 35 and a distance value 36, 1 m here, are additionally shown in asecond region 34. The value 1 m identifies the difference between thelength of parking space 6′ and the length of motor vehicle 1 in thiscase. Warning symbol 35 is to indicate that the length differencebetween motor vehicle 1′ and parking space 6′ is only slight and theparking procedure therefore requires special caution. In addition, anacoustic voice output and/or an acoustic warning signal may be outputfor this purpose.

A further exemplary embodiment of a display on display screen 19 isshown in FIG. 3. A color signal for each parking space is shown in afirst column 41 in display area 40. Assigned to the color signal, adistance value is displayed in a second column 42. An arrow illustrationassigned to the particular parking space, for example, which indicatesto the user whether it is a parking space on the right or left roadside,is displayed in a third column 43. In order to ensure clarity for auser, preferably only up to five parking spaces are displayed in displayarea 40. Preferably, only those parking spaces are shown which aresuitable at all for parking using motor vehicle 1. In contrast,unsuitable parking spaces are preferably suppressed in the display andtheir data is also deleted from memory unit 14. In the exemplaryembodiment shown here, the room offered by the parking space isindicated to the user via a color code in first column 41. Instead ofthe color code, the length of the parking space, the width of theparking space, and/or a relationship of the parking space to theexternal dimensions of the motor vehicle may also be displayed. In theexemplary embodiment selected here, a parking space is located at adistance of 200 m on the right side of the road according to a firstdisplay line 44, which is assigned to a red display field 45, identifiedby the crosshatching from bottom left to top right. This means that aparking space which only allows very tight parking is located 200 mback. In second display line 46, a parking space identified by a greendisplay field 47 is located at a distance of 50 m, also on the rightside of the road, green display field 47, identified by thecrosshatching from top left to bottom right, allowing very comfortableparking. Preferably, the display of a green display field indicates thatno reverse driving is necessary for parking at the parking space, butrather the vehicle may be driven comfortably into the parking space bydriving forward. Third display line 48 indicates a parking space threemeters back, also on the right side of the road, which is assigned ayellow display field 49, identified by the crosshatching from top tobottom. The yellow field is to indicate that parking is comfortablypossible, but caution is advised. In particular, due to the parkingspace length, reverse parking is to be performed. A user may now decidewhether to accept the parking space further away and to perform thecorresponding parking procedure or to drive back the distance of 50 m inorder to select the more comfortable parking space, thereby possiblyhaving to accept a walk. If the driver continues on and if at leastthree further parking spaces are detected, the parking space in firstdisplay line 44 is deleted from display area 40.

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A parking aid for a vehicle, comprising: a measuringunit configured to detect parking spaces as the vehicle travels past theparking spaces; a memory unit to store properties of the parking spaces;and an output unit to output information about the parking spaces. 9.The parking aid as recited in claim 8, wherein at least one of a length,a width, a relationship to dimensions of the vehicle, and a distance ofthe vehicle to at least one parking space, are displayed in the outputunit.
 10. The parking aid as recited in claim 8, wherein the propertiesof multiple parking spaces are shown simultaneously in the output unit.11. The parking aid as recited in claim 8, further comprising: ananalyzing unit configured to manage the memory unit, stored propertiesof parking spaces in the memory unit being deleted by the analyzing unitafter a predefinable distance of the vehicle to the parking spaces. 12.The parking aid as recited in claim 8, wherein the parking aid isactivated when a speed of the vehicle falls below a predefined level andis deactivated when a predefined speed is exceeded.
 13. The parking aidas recited in claim 8, further comprising: at least one operatingelement situated in the vehicle, a display of the properties of theparking space being triggered by operating at least one of the operatingelements in the vehicle.
 14. A display unit in a motor vehicle,comprising: an output unit configured to display information aboutparking space which the vehicle has traveled past.